The 1980s in general is just an awkward decade. It seems that every movie from the 80s is very corny and archaic. Rather than transcending time, like many older movies, for example, the 1940s and 1970s, which produced in my opinion, some of the greatest movies, especially the 1970s (I haven't seen that many 1940s movies, though they are highly acclaimed) the 1980s seemed stuck in time. The science fiction movies seem ridiculous, with the exception of the Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983.) I have tried to watch Blade Runner three times and have fallen asleep all three times and I tried to watch Brazil today, but it seemed so passé in both theme and production, that I couldn't bear watching it pass the first ten minutes. Those 80s haircuts, sense of fashion, and odd comedic elements seem to override any sliver of intellectual or philosophical elements of those movies.
A typical 80s movie scene is on that takes place in some kind of office, like the one in Runaway Train. Everything from the glasses and the facial expressions, are overdone and seem completely unrealistic in comparison to modern times. It seems sad for those talented artists: actors, directors, cinematographers, key grips, and lightning crew members, whose artistic prime occurred during this dreadful time.
It seems strange how there were some great movies from 1980: The Shining and The Elephant Man, but after that year, it all falls short. Pass that, the mementum from the glorious 1970s wears off. And the vast majority of the movies that people like from that era are science fiction movies that are nearly completely for entertainment and lack intellectual themes, such as: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, and The Terminator. These movies often contain children who are full of angst and adventure and come to help shady characters, which is quite cliche, but still could produce a positive effect is done right. But 80s movies seem incapable of doing this, as the results are largely predictable.
After this miserable decade of film, the 1990s produced some of the all-time greats. Goodfellas in 1990s, Silence of the Lambs in 1991, Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Schindler's List in 1993, and quite possibly the best year of cinema in American history, 1994, with Forest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, and Pulp Fiction. Of course people will say "what about ______; it was my favorite movie and it was in 198_." Well for those people, maybe you should write a blog about how you feel the contrary about 1980s cinema, but for me, I rather watch silent films.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Darker Side of Pale: My Search for the Best Scary Scene
As I watched El laberinto del fauno or Pan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro, I came across one of the scariest and heart-pumping scenes I have ever seen. However, it's not a typical horror type scene that is driven simply by violence and gore, (even though the film is quite violent, especially for a fantasy film, yes it is a fantasy film but an adult one) but rather it is a scene that entails very interesting concepts and themes, though I'm sure Mr. Bennett would completely loath this film because it pits a facsist monster up against a cute, innocent girl, in addition to having a religious type ending; not the moral ambigouity he's looking for, but you can't please everyone.
The scene opens with the girl walking down a mysterious hallway with ominous hushing-type noises to reveal the dark nature of the place. She then glances thoroughly at a luscious assortment of food on a grand table; this symbolizes the desires that will tempt her and nearly cause her demise. Because of the themes and meaning of the movie, I assumed this symbolized sin. The cinematography is done so she is glancing at the table as she is walking and as she walks on viewing the food, she abruptly views the horrid image of the "pale man," the quintessential evil creature who eats children. The camera work is done in that way in order to tell the audience that with all these great things in front of you, they are joined with great evils and appalling consequences. There are also depictations on the wall of him eating children and skulls on the ground with the fairies directing her to her mission, away from this horrible creature. The scene is, of course, very silent except for the constant hushing noises and the crackling of the fire. She pulls out a key to open some lock, of which there are three: she at first goes to open one by stops intuitively and chooses the other. There are several things that arise that this part, one being she has some sort of knowledge that comes from within which goes along with the plot and also doing with the fact she chooses not the center one which she at first goes for, but rather one from the side of it. So she gets what she needs, now comes the truly scary part.
We see a hourglass which foreshadows a problem with time that ensures. She of course falls for the fruit and the pale man takes his eyes from a plate and puts them on his hands. Those horrific squeals and cackling noises that come from this creature and the music cresendos. Now we see the image of this innocent, lovely girl in the front of the screen and in the back, the image of this awkard, child-eating creature. He eats the heads of two of the fairies (thus adult fantasy) and the girl only now realizes that she screwed up big time. With this creature walking in huge slow strides hunting for her, she frantically runs, as he is lead by these eyes that are planted in his hands (refer to link at the bottom of the page for the visuals, you'll understand when you see it.) His shrills and shrieks, which sound like pigs squealing as they are about to be slaughtered, are complemented by the girl's cries. The theme of innocent is overwhelming, only psychopathic killers wouldn't be on edge for this adorable girl, and the hourglass, just then finishs and she runs into the closed door with the camera showing her from the back. So now you're thinking how this girl is to survive with the doors closed with the eminent threat of this possessed creature who is vaguely human looking, yet epitomizes the sordidness of the human. The camera then focuses on her the feet of both of the characters, with his awkward steps compared to her cute girly shoes, as to show that the decadent character is going to devour the innocent child. But she finds a piece of chalk (you'll have to watch the film in its entirety to understand) and opens a pathway, as to show that even though we make mistakes, we can still overcome them with our own actions of good. Then she escapes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9YD2PFF31E
The scene opens with the girl walking down a mysterious hallway with ominous hushing-type noises to reveal the dark nature of the place. She then glances thoroughly at a luscious assortment of food on a grand table; this symbolizes the desires that will tempt her and nearly cause her demise. Because of the themes and meaning of the movie, I assumed this symbolized sin. The cinematography is done so she is glancing at the table as she is walking and as she walks on viewing the food, she abruptly views the horrid image of the "pale man," the quintessential evil creature who eats children. The camera work is done in that way in order to tell the audience that with all these great things in front of you, they are joined with great evils and appalling consequences. There are also depictations on the wall of him eating children and skulls on the ground with the fairies directing her to her mission, away from this horrible creature. The scene is, of course, very silent except for the constant hushing noises and the crackling of the fire. She pulls out a key to open some lock, of which there are three: she at first goes to open one by stops intuitively and chooses the other. There are several things that arise that this part, one being she has some sort of knowledge that comes from within which goes along with the plot and also doing with the fact she chooses not the center one which she at first goes for, but rather one from the side of it. So she gets what she needs, now comes the truly scary part.
We see a hourglass which foreshadows a problem with time that ensures. She of course falls for the fruit and the pale man takes his eyes from a plate and puts them on his hands. Those horrific squeals and cackling noises that come from this creature and the music cresendos. Now we see the image of this innocent, lovely girl in the front of the screen and in the back, the image of this awkard, child-eating creature. He eats the heads of two of the fairies (thus adult fantasy) and the girl only now realizes that she screwed up big time. With this creature walking in huge slow strides hunting for her, she frantically runs, as he is lead by these eyes that are planted in his hands (refer to link at the bottom of the page for the visuals, you'll understand when you see it.) His shrills and shrieks, which sound like pigs squealing as they are about to be slaughtered, are complemented by the girl's cries. The theme of innocent is overwhelming, only psychopathic killers wouldn't be on edge for this adorable girl, and the hourglass, just then finishs and she runs into the closed door with the camera showing her from the back. So now you're thinking how this girl is to survive with the doors closed with the eminent threat of this possessed creature who is vaguely human looking, yet epitomizes the sordidness of the human. The camera then focuses on her the feet of both of the characters, with his awkward steps compared to her cute girly shoes, as to show that the decadent character is going to devour the innocent child. But she finds a piece of chalk (you'll have to watch the film in its entirety to understand) and opens a pathway, as to show that even though we make mistakes, we can still overcome them with our own actions of good. Then she escapes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9YD2PFF31E
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Music of Gold: My Search for the Perfectly Composed movie Song
Well, it wasn't much of a search being that only as I currently write this developed the idea that I was on mission to find the perfectly fitting song. As I was watching "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (which i fell asleep during the middle hour of, which to my credit wasn't entirely my fault, i did previously see three other movies right before viewing this one) I came upon the greatest song that I ever saw in a film. This song, appropriately called "Ecstacy of Gold" fits perfectly with the scene and evoked the exact feeling that the visual does. But there is no more time for my faint, nebulous appraisal, I will begin my analysis without giving much away to those who have yet to see this classic.
From the start, the scene opens with "the ugly" stumbling on a tombstone, which reveals that he found the cemetry he was looking for where the money is located. This is accompanied by ominous piano playing shortly followed by what sounds like an oboe solo. It is lightly played though, as the character discovers where he looks upon the immense vastness of the cemetry which extends as far as the eye can see. Then as the ugly is signaling the sign of the cross, the oboe sounds celestial but this is evanscent, because right after he makes some unknown irritable noise and throws whatever papers he is holding at the time. Afterword, he fills up with excitement because he now possesses all he needs to find the gold, the music builds up with a crescendo of that recurrent ominous piano 4 note riff as to illustrate the theme of false religiousness. Then he starts walking though the cemetry and the bass also rises into prominence. Then we hear a quick lifting effect in which you know leads up to something in the film and the audience is wondering what will happen to this character as in relation to him finding the treasure. Our thoughts are answered with opera singing. This is evokes the feeling of excitment and personally makes me want to start running which is very convienent because the character starts running in excitment to find the gold (thus the name esctasy of gold.) Just as he stops running, the full orchestra plays in unison as he looks around for the tombstone with the gold buried underneath. This serves as the bridge between the momentary evelation in excitment because it calms you down before the big lift. Then you are engulfed by this blend of the opera singing, the sound of the marching snare drum, and the full orchestra that is so powerful which fills me up with enthusiasm. Then we hear a raise in pitch from the opera singer as if signaling a following cut off with appropriately follows. Gumbling and gong hits make us feel as if something has weakened in the character; maybe he has given up on the search, the cemetry too vast for him. No, a cool sounding opera riff preseeds the music and we are thrown back in the thrill of the chase. But now we hear new prominent trumpet playing which offers a new aspect of the song. Then our character looks as if he found the tombstone he was looking for. The music now levels off as soon as he sees something and we hear prominent lower brass playing instead. Then a new element is heard, a heavenly sounding chorus which at one point is the only thing that is heard which as if one is taking a big breath of air, waiting for that big moment to come. Then in the last hurrah of sorts, all elements of the previously heard song is blasted in our faces with the camera moving continually faster, as if an ecstasy is upon us. Then finally it ends, the character zooms past the screen illustrating that this ecstasy smacked him suddenly without even time to stop.
This sets up the quite scene where he digs only to find... well remember I said I didn't want to give anything away.
Well that's one of my favorite songs ever, enjoy. You can follow my analysis while watching the scene on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdNh9f2Wwm0
From the start, the scene opens with "the ugly" stumbling on a tombstone, which reveals that he found the cemetry he was looking for where the money is located. This is accompanied by ominous piano playing shortly followed by what sounds like an oboe solo. It is lightly played though, as the character discovers where he looks upon the immense vastness of the cemetry which extends as far as the eye can see. Then as the ugly is signaling the sign of the cross, the oboe sounds celestial but this is evanscent, because right after he makes some unknown irritable noise and throws whatever papers he is holding at the time. Afterword, he fills up with excitement because he now possesses all he needs to find the gold, the music builds up with a crescendo of that recurrent ominous piano 4 note riff as to illustrate the theme of false religiousness. Then he starts walking though the cemetry and the bass also rises into prominence. Then we hear a quick lifting effect in which you know leads up to something in the film and the audience is wondering what will happen to this character as in relation to him finding the treasure. Our thoughts are answered with opera singing. This is evokes the feeling of excitment and personally makes me want to start running which is very convienent because the character starts running in excitment to find the gold (thus the name esctasy of gold.) Just as he stops running, the full orchestra plays in unison as he looks around for the tombstone with the gold buried underneath. This serves as the bridge between the momentary evelation in excitment because it calms you down before the big lift. Then you are engulfed by this blend of the opera singing, the sound of the marching snare drum, and the full orchestra that is so powerful which fills me up with enthusiasm. Then we hear a raise in pitch from the opera singer as if signaling a following cut off with appropriately follows. Gumbling and gong hits make us feel as if something has weakened in the character; maybe he has given up on the search, the cemetry too vast for him. No, a cool sounding opera riff preseeds the music and we are thrown back in the thrill of the chase. But now we hear new prominent trumpet playing which offers a new aspect of the song. Then our character looks as if he found the tombstone he was looking for. The music now levels off as soon as he sees something and we hear prominent lower brass playing instead. Then a new element is heard, a heavenly sounding chorus which at one point is the only thing that is heard which as if one is taking a big breath of air, waiting for that big moment to come. Then in the last hurrah of sorts, all elements of the previously heard song is blasted in our faces with the camera moving continually faster, as if an ecstasy is upon us. Then finally it ends, the character zooms past the screen illustrating that this ecstasy smacked him suddenly without even time to stop.
This sets up the quite scene where he digs only to find... well remember I said I didn't want to give anything away.
Well that's one of my favorite songs ever, enjoy. You can follow my analysis while watching the scene on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdNh9f2Wwm0
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